Aspirator device



Dec. 23, 1969 G- K, Aus-rm, JR l 3,485,246`

ASPIRATOR DEVICE Filed July 5, 1966 1NVENTOR` United States Patent 3,485,246 ASPIRAIOR DEVICE George K. Austin, Jr., 113 N. Blaine St., Newburg, Oreg. 97132 Filed July 5, 1966, Ser. No. 562,801 Int. Cl. A61m 1/00; F04f 5/16, 5/48 US. Cl. 12S-277 18 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure relates to fluid operated aspirator devices for dental and surgical work. The jet of pressurized air directed through a venturi nozzle creates a negative pressure in a flexible line which draws liquid and solid substances from a patients mouth into a chamber. The negative pressure at the throat of the venturi draws gaseous and liquid substances from the chamber through separate outlet ports.

This invention relates in general to new and useful improvements in iluid operated aspirator apparatus, and more particularly to new and useful air operated dental aspirators for evacuating saliva, water, and other oral debris which accumulates in the mouth of a dental patient during the practice of general dentistry.

In the practice of various dental and surgical techniques, it has been found desirable to provide an apparatus capable of being inserted into the mouth or other body cavities of a patient, adapted to provide a suction sufcient to withdraw from such cavities undesirable liquid and solid particles. It has also been found desirable to provide apparatus of the above-mentioned type capable of continuous operation in drawing a suction over long periods of time.

Prior art types of devices have often been dependent upon the use of water alone as an operating fluid, required large, motor driven pumps, or required large volume air jets to produce a negative pressure in a fluid conducting line inserted into a body cavity.

Many of the `prior art devices have utilized a removable storage tank, usually a jar, through which a vacuum is drawn in providing a suction within that portion of the apparatus which is inserted into a body cavity. These tanks have been found to be objectionable, in that, in many cases, as they become filled with accumulated fluid, the operation of the apparatus must be discontinued until the tank or jar may be emptied. Also, often a tank may become filled, thereby closing exhaust ports and creating a back pressure which causes the unsanitary iiuid to be expelled from the tank, back through a connection line and into a body cavity, as for example, the mouth of a dental patient.

Still other types of prior art devices utilize a collection tank having only a gravity take-off for the fluid collected therein, and that therefore, during such operations wherein large amounts of fluid are accumulated in the tank, the gravity take-off is insufficient to withdraw the fluid from the tank, resulting in an undesirable pressure build-up and fluid back-u-p, as well as requiring a ternporary shutdown of the apparatus.

Still further, otherapparatus capable of operating by water pressure alone, consumes extremely large quantities of water, which is extremely undes-ifable in areas where water shortage is a critical problem.

The present invention seeks to obviate these and other undesirable features of prior art devices by providing a dental and surgical aspirator device capable of continuous operation and which discharges both gaseous and liquid refuse therefrom, in a continuous manner, even during periods of use when excessively large volumes of liquid are transmitted through the device.

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Patented Dec. 23, 1969 Fice Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a fluid operated aspirator for dental and surgical work comprising a chamber for temporarily retaining liquid therein, and having exit Iports disposed at different vertical heights within the chamber, such that when large volumes of liquid are being supplied to the chamber, at a rate faster than a liquid exhaust port may carry away such liquid, an air exhaust port will still provide substantially the same negative pressure or suction through that portion of the apparatus which is inserted into a body cavity.

It is another object of this invention to provide a fluid operated aspirator which is capable of withdrawing gaseous, liquid and solid substances from a cavity into a chamber, and which provides discharge means for separably evacuating gaseous and liquid substances from the chamber, by creating a negative pressure within the chamber through the use of a venturi nozzle.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a novel apparatus for evacuating from the mouth of a dental patient air with entrained liquid and solid substances and for delivering such substances to a temporary collection chamber wherein larger solid particles may be collected within a screen of the chamber, and wherein separate discharge means are provided for evacuating liquid and air from the chamber.

It is a further object of the present invention to -provide a novel temporary collection chamber for gaseous, liquid and solid particles evacuated from the body of a patient, and to provide an air-operated venturi nozzle means for separably evacuating gaseous and liquid substances from the chamber, wherein a regulating means is provided for varying the flow of air to the venturi nozzle means.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a novel dental aspirator capable of removing solid and liquid particles from the mouth of a patient into a chamber, wherein an anti-clogging venturi nozzle system is utilized for discharging air and liquid from the chamber.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a fluid operated aspirator apparatus, including a venturi nozzle which is readily removable from the remaining apparatus for purposes of cleaning and repair.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a top perspective view of a iluid operated aspirator apparatus of the present invention, wherein there is illustrated a temporary collection chamber having a dental aspirator tip attached thereto by a flexible hose, and having an air-and-water separator connected downstream of the chamber.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken along the line 2 2 of FIGURE 1, having portions thereof shown in elevation, and illustrates the operative relationship of the various component elements of the present invention.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of a portion of the apparatus of FIGURE 2, and illustrates the relationship of the chamber exit ports, the pressure expulsion bore and nozzle throat of the apparatus of this invention.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary top view of a portion of the apparatus of FIGURE 3, taken along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3, and illustrates the removable component of the chamber of this invention having exit ports extending at different vertical heights within the chamber.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary top sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 3 and illustrates an annular groove disposed about a removable component of the chamber means between a pressure supply port and a fluid expulsion bore of this invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, reference is rst made to FIGURE 1 wherein there is illustrated a fluid operated aspirator apparatus generally designated by the numeral 8, comprising a dental aspirator tip 9 and a flexible hose 10 as components of a connection means generally designated 11, a temporary collection chamber 12 and a separator device 13.

The dental aspirator tip 9 of the connection 11 includes a conventional guard 14 at an end thereof for preventing extremely large particles from entering the aspirator tip 9. The dental aspirator tip 9 is connected to the exible hose 10 by a suitable connecting element 15. An opposite end of the hose 10 is connected to an inlet port 16 of the chamber 12. 'Ihe dental aspirator tip 9 may be replaced by a conventional surgical tip (not shown) if such is desired.

The chamber 12 comprises a cylindrical body portion 17, a base portion 18 and a removable head portion 20. The base portion 1-8 has an inlet bore 21 therein which is tapped at a lower end to receive a fitting 22 of the inlet port 16. A tubular inlet member 23 is provided, inserted into the interior end of the inlet bore 21, and extends vertically upwardly into an upper chamber portion 24 of the head portion 20 of the chamber 12.

The head portion of the chamber 12 carries a depending annular portion 25 which is inserted at an upper end of the chamber body 17, with an abutment edge 26 of the head portion 20 in engagement with the upper end of the chamber body portion 17. A suitable sealing element 27, such as an O-ring is provided between the annular portion 25 and the upper interior surface of the body portion 17 of the chamber 12. A disc-like wire screen 28 is secured against a lower end 30 of the annular portion 25 of the chamber head 20 by a suitable screw-type fastening member 31.

A fluid pressure line 32 is provided, secured by means of a suitable fitting 33 within a blind bore 34 in the base portion 18 of the chamber 12. The fluid pressure line 32 is provided with a pressure regulating control 35.

A centrally disposed vertical bore 36 is provided in the base portion 1'8 of the chamber 12. A cross bore 37 connects the blind bore 34 and the centrally disposed vertical bore 36. The bore 36 is provided with a threaded counter bore 38 at one end thereof, adjacent a lower end surface 40 of the base portion 18 of the chamber 12.

As is illustrated most clearly in FIGURE 3, a removable plug member 41 is disposed within the bore 36 of the chamber base portion 18. The member 41 is generally cylindrical, having an annular peripheral groove 42 disposed thereabout, approximately intermediate the ends of the member 41. A cross bore is provided extending transversely and through a central axis of the member 41, joining opposite side portions of the annular groove 42 in communicating relation. A vertically disposed expulsion bore 44 extends downwardly, substantially in line with the `axis of the plug member 41, between the cross bore 43 and a lower end surface 45 of the plug member 41. An upper end of the cylindrical plug member 41 terminates in first and second semi-cylindrical surface portions 46 and 47 respectively, at different vertical heights, as is illustrated in FIGURE 3.

First and second exit bores 48, 50 are provided, extending from respective first and second semi-cylindrical plug end surfaces 46 and 47, entirely through the plug member 41 to the bottom surface 45 thereof. The bores 48, `50 are more widely spaced at their intersections with respective surfaces 46 and 47, than at their intersections with surface 45 of plug member 41, toward which surface they converge. The bore 50 has been counter-bored at .4 its upper end adjacent semi-cylindrical surface 47 to receive therein a vertically extending exit tube 51.

A plurality of O-ring grooves 52, 53 are provided about the periphery of the plug member 41, disposed adjacent opposite ends of the annular groove 42, and receive therein respective O-rings 54, 55 when the plug member 41 is inserted within the bore 36 of the chamber base portion 18, in order to effect a uid-tight seal between the chamber base portion 18 and the plug member 41. In this position of the plug member `41 within the bore 36, the annular groove -42 is disposed in communicating relation with the cross bore 37 of the base portion 18 of the chamber 12.

The bore 48 comprises a first exit port from the chamber 12, and the tubular member 51 and communicating bore 50 comprise a second exit port from the chamber 12, with the tubular member 51 extending upwardly toward the top interior portion of the chamber 12.

The lower surface 45 of the plug member 41 is cut away at its outer peripheral edge to define an annular groove 56 therein.

A tubular sleeve member 57, having a threaded base 58 thereon is secured in threaded engagement with the corresponding thread 38 adjacent the lower surface 40 of the base portion 18 of the chamber 12, with a portion of the base portion 58 of the sleeve member 57 being received within the annular groove 56 of the plug member 41.

The sleeve member 57 has received therein a cylindrical nozzle member 58, and is suitably sealed thereto by means of an O-ring seal 60, as desired. A conical bore 61 extends between upper and lower surfaces 62, 63 of the nozzle member 58, and diverges from a diameter defining a nozzle throat at surface 62 to an enlarged diameter adjacent surface y63. The sleeve member 57 has a threaded end 64, which receives a threaded adaptor member 65 therein, with the nozzle member 58 positioned in abutting relation to the adaptor member 65, defining a chamber space 66 between the upper surface 62 of the nozzle member 58 and the lower surface 45 of the plug member 41.

The adaptor member 65 has an outer surface cut to define a conventional nut 67, adapted to facilitate securing the adaptor member 65 to an upper end '68 of a separator tank 70.

The adaptor member 65 has a bore 71 centrally disposed therein, and communicates with the conical bore 61 of the nozzle member 58 and the interior of the separator tank 70. The tank 70 is generally cylindrical and has inlet and outlet openings 72, 73 at opposite ends 68, 74 thereof. A longitudinally extensive inlet pipe 75 is secured at its upper end within the end `68 of the tank 70 by means of the adaptor member 65 being secured in threaded engagement within the end 68 of the tank 70. The tubular member 75 extends for approximately twothirds the length of the tank 70, and has a lower terminal end 76 which has been severed angularly, at an angle of approximately 45 degrees with the longitudinal axis of the tubular member 76. A helical insert 77 has been provided disposed within the tubular member 75, and is retained in its vertical position by means of a plug 78 extending inwardly from a wall of the tubular member 75. The helical member 77 defines a helical path for fluid travelling through the tubular member 75, and retards the velocity of the same. The tank 70 is provided adjacent its upper end l68, with an air removal conduit 80, secured to the wall of the tank 70 in communicating relation to the interior of the tank. The conduit 80 has a suitable muffler 81 attached to its outermost end, which may be either of the conventional type, or have a means therein for medically purifying or sterilizing air passing therethrough. A suitable drainage hose 82 is attached to the lower end 74 of the tank 70 in order to facilitate the continuous drainage of liquids from the tank 70, and to deliver such fluids to a sewer system or other suitable disposal system.

OPERATION The aspirator apparatus 8 is preferably used during the practice of general dentistry, where particles of filling, chips, tooth particles, saliva and other solid and liquid substances must be removed from the mouth. In order to effectuate a means for the removal of such substances, the above-mentioned apparatus is provided, wherein a tank of pressurized gas or other fluid is provided, although pressurized air is preferred, the pressurized air being supplied through line 32, through control valve 35, and into the base portion 18 of the chamber 12 through inlet port 34.

The pressurized air then passes through cross bore 37, through annular channel or groove 42, communicates through cross bore 43 with the expulsion bore 44, and upon leaving the expulsion bore 44 under relatively high pressure, it is driven across chamber 66 and enters the conical bore 61 of the nozzle member 58.

As the pressurized air enters the diverging conical bore 61 of the nozzle member 58, and passes the throat of the nozzle member 58 adjacent surface 62, the pressurized air expands as it approaches surface 63 of the nozzle member 58, thus achieving a venturi nozzle effect whereby the velocity of air entering the throat adjacent surface 62 of the nozzle member 58 is increased, creating a low pressure zone in the area of the throat of the nozzle member 58 adjacent the surface 62, which low pressure zone is sufficient to draw the above-mentioned liquid and ber portion 66, and thereby draws a vacuum or suction through bores 48 and 50, thereby creating a reduced pressure zone inside the chamber 12. This reduced pressure zone is sufficient to draw the above-mentioned liquid and solid substances and other oral debris through the dental aspirator tip 9, through the hose and the inlet tube 23 into the chamber portion 24 in the head 20, in the interior of the chamber 12. As the liquid and solid substances enter the chamber portion 24, along with large volumes of air also drawn through the dental aspirator tip 9, hose 10, and inlet tube 23, larger solid particles such as fillings and the like are filtered out of the liquid and air fluid by the screen 28, and are thereby retained within the chamber portion 24, while the remaining fluids are drawn into the interior of the major body portion 17 of the chamber 12.

In the normal operation of the device, when relatively small amounts of liquid are being drawn through the aspirator apparatus, both air and liquid, with any minute solid particles entrained therein, such as have passed through the screen 28, are drawn through either of the first and second exit ports, defined by the bore 48 and the tubular member 51 and bore 50, due to the low pressure region within the chamber portion 66. The fluids entering the chamber portion 66 through the bores 48 and 50 are entrained within the air being drawn through the nozzle member 58 and are expelled therethrough along with the pressurized air being expelled through the expulsion bore 44.

Should, however, large amounts of fluid be drawn to the interior of the chamber 12, at such a rate that the first exit port defined by the bore 4S cannot sufficiently carry off the large amount of liquid which is then increasing in height within the chamber 12, the present invention seeks to eliminate a clogging which would otherwise be present, by the utilization of the second exit port defined by the tubular member 51 and the bore 50, whereby a low pressure region within the chamber 66, as effected by the venturi nozzle 58 continues to draw a suction or vacuum through the second exit port, thereby continuing to create a low pressure region at the interior of the chamber 12, such as will continue to enable the drawing of a suction through the inlet tubular member 23, the flexible tube 10, and the dental aspirator tip 9. Thus7 even during periods of large volume liquid flow, the present aspirator apparatus `8 provides a continuous desired suction in the mouth of a patient.

In this latter utilization of the present invention, liquid alone is drawn through the exit port defined by the bore 48, whereas air or other gases are drawn through the exit port defined by the tubular member 51 and the bore 50, all of which liquid and air passing through either of the bores enters the chamber portion 66 and is entrained in the air flow therethrough into the nozzle member 58, and is impelled therethrough, through the bore 71 of the connection member `65, and into the tank 70.

As the waste fluids enter the tank 70, they first enter the tubular member 75, and traverse the helical path defined by the member 77, which facilitates the retardation of the velocity of the air and entrained liquid particles, whereby liquid particles tend to settle out of the air, and thereby avoiding the formation of a mist The liquid thus transmitted through the tubular member 75 thereby passes to the bottom of the tank 70, and enters the discharge port 73, passes through a discharge tube 82, and is carried to a suitable sewage system.

The large volumes of air drawn through the tubular member 75, and into the tank 70 are free to pass through the air discharge 80, and through the mufller 81 back into atmosphere, or to vent, as is desired.

It has also been found desirable that the lower end of the tubular member 75 be cut at an angle, in order to avoid a whistling effect of air in a fine stream being directed against the bottom 74 of the tank 70.

Due to the ability of the aspirator apparatus of the present invention to be used continuously, and wherein it is not necessary to interrupt the operation thereof in order to facilitate the emptying of a fluid accumulator, it is realized that unique and novel advantages will be realized by the operation of this apparatus.

Whereas solid particle accumulations are relatively slight, the accumulation of solid particles within the chamber portion 24 of the head portion 20 of the charnber 12 will be relatively slight, and the head portion 20 may thus be readily removed occasionally, as desired, in order to facilitate the removal of the screen 28 and the consequent emptying of solid particles from the chamber portion 24.

Although only a preferred embodiment of the invention has been specifically illustrated and described herein, it is to be understood that minor modifications may be made in the structure and operation of the aspirator apparatus within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a fluid operated aspirator apparatus for dental and surgical work comprising a chamber means and a connection means wherein the connection means is adapted to withdraw gaseous, liquid and solid substances from a body cavity of a person and to dispel said substances into the chamber means, the improvement comprising discharge means for separately evacuating from said chamber means gaseous and liquid substances; said discharge means including fluid operated venturi nozzle means for drawing the gaseous and liquid substances through said chamber means, said discharge means including a plurality of discharge ports merging downstream of said chamber means, and a separator tank downstream of said discharge ports for separating gaseous substances from liquid substances.

2. In a fluid operated aspirator apparatus for dental and surgical work comprising a chamber means and a` connection means wherein the connection means is adapted to withdraw gaseous, liquid and solid substances from a body cavity of a person and to dispel said substances into the chamber means, the improvement cornprising discharge means for separately evacuating from said chamber means gaseous and liquid substances; said discharge means including fluid operated venturi nozzle means for drawing the gaseous and liquid substances through said chamber means, wherein said discharge means includes a plurality of discharge ports adapted to separately convey gaseous or liquid substances to said venturi nozzle means, and wherein said venturi nozzle means comprises a single venturi nozzle.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said connection means includes a dental aspirator tip connected to said chamber means by a exible hose means; said tip being adapted for insertion into the mouth of a patient.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said connection means includes a surgical tip.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said single venturi nozzle includes a nozzle throat means adapted to receive therein a directed stream of pressurized gas whereby said pressurized gas expands downstream of said throat means and creates a low pressure region upstream of said throat means for drawing said gaseous and liquid substances through said discharge ports.

6. In a uid operated aspirator apparatus for dental and surgical work comprising a chamber means and a connection means wherein the connection means is adapted to withdraw gaseous, liquid and solid substances from a body cavity of a person and to dispel said substances into the chamber means, the improvement comprising discharge means for separately evacuating from said chamber means gaseous and liquid substances; said discharge means including fluid operated venturi nozzle means for drawing the gaseous and liquid substances through said chamber means, a tank means downstream of said chamber means for separating gaseous substances from liquid substances wherein said tank means includes an inlet port means for receiving gaseous and liquid substances, outlet port means for expelling gaseous substances therethrough, and outlet port means for expelling liquid substances and minute solids particles entrained within said liquid substances therethrough.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said inlet port means includes means therein for retarding the velocity of uid transmitted therethrough.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said inlet port means comprises a tubular member having an angularly severed end thereon.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein there is positioned within said tubular member a means for retarding the velocity of uid transmitted therethrough.

10. In a uid operated aspirator apparatus for dental and surgical Work including a chamber means having inlet port means therein for supplying gaseous and liquid substances to the interior of said chamber means, the improvement comprising a plurality of exit port means disposed at different vertical heights within said chamber means, means for creating a pressure reduced as compared to atmospheric downstream of said chamber means for evacuating liquid in gaseous substances through separate ones of said exit port means, and means wherein said separate exit ports are merged downstream of said chamber means.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein both liquid and gaseous substances may be evacuated through one of said exit port means and gaseous susbtances alone may be evacuated through another of said exit port means.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said exit port means comprise a plurality of substantially vertical bores in a lowermost portion of said chamber means communicating with the interior of said chamber means, one of said bores having a vertical extension inlet communicating with a substantially vertical uppermost portion of said chamber means; another of said bores having an inlet at the lowermost interior portion of said chamber means.

13. In a fluid operated aspirator apparatus for dental and surgical workincluding a chamber means having inlet port means therein for supplying gaseous and liquid substances to the interior of said chamber means, the improvement comprising a plurality of eXit port means disposed at different vertical heights within said chamber means, means for creating a pressure reduced as compared to atmospheric downstream of said chamber means for evacuating liquid and gaseous substances through separate ones of said exit port means, said exit port means comprising a plurality of substantially vertical bores in a lowermost portion of said chamber means communicating with the interior of said chamber means; one of said bores having a vertical extension inlet communicating with a substantially vertical uppermost portion of said chamber means; another of said bores having an inlet at the lowermost interior portion of said chamber means, a fluid pressure expulsion bore located in a base portion of said chamber means; and an exit opening of said expulsion bore being adjacent exit openings of said exit ports.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein means are provided for delivering to said expulsion bore air at a pressure substantially greater than atmospheric pressure; said latter means being a component of said means for creating a reduced pressure.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein all of said bores are provided in a removable component of said chamber means.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein an annular groove denes a passageway in said removable component for delivering the pressurized air to said expulsion bore.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said exit opening of said expulsion bore is aligned above a throat of a venturi nozzle with a fluid communicating chamber therebetween.

18. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein means are provided for regulating the ow of pressurized gas to the venturi nozzle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 509,400 11/1893 Ruble 230-95 988,345 4/1911 Irgens 128-277 1,149,554 8/1915 DeCew 103-258 2,191,717 2/1940 Jetrey 230-95 2,746,078 5 1956 Spurlin 230-95 2,863,525 12/1958 Lucian 230-95 3,012,323 12/1961 Thompson 12S-276 3,017,886 1/1962 Thompson 12S-276 3,319,578 5/1967 Ware 103-235 CHARLES F. ROSENBAUM, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 230-- 

